[From the Guardian:]
The achievements of the Indian believers in recent months have been truly stupendous. The Six-Year Plan has progressed magnificently; the dissemination of Baha'i literature has been stimulated, the national administrative headquarters, to be henceforth designated as the Haziratu'l-Quds, has been established; a new spirit stirs in the hearts of the believers, teachers, pioneers as well as administrators; the evidences of a fast-developing community life are evident everywhere. The impetus lent to these activities must be continually reinforced in these concluding months of the first Baha'i century. The Indian believers have amply demonstrated the vitality of the faith they profess. They must win fresh laurels. They cannot rest on their oars. They must scale still loftier heights. They must persevere till the end. They must sacrifice to the utmost. They must unite as never before. They must prove themselves worthy of the task they have so nobly initiated and are now so energetically prosecuting. I will, with redoubled fervour, pray for its consummation. Rest assured.
October 26, 1943
Centenary Celebrations
He approves of the plans for holding the Centenary, and wishes the annual Baha'i Convention to be held in conjunction with it (as already confirmed by cable to you). All Baha'i Communities free to convene conventions will be also meeting this year during the Centenary celebrations. This will both facilitate the work of the Cause, stimulate the friends, and be of added interest to the public.
The truly remarkable work accomplished by the pioneers and teachers in India during this last year has greatly pleased, and even astonished, the Guardian, and he hopes that the friends, newly enlisted under the banner of Baha'u'llah, will study the teachings deeply, help to promote unity and concord among the believers, and greatly aid in spreading the Divine Message among the people of India.
Historic Achievements
[From the Guardian:]
The truly splendid and indeed historic achievements of the Indian believers during the concluding months of the first Baha'i century deserve the highest praise. The repeated and striking evidences of their high accomplishments invigorate, encourage, and excite the admiration of, their sister communities in East and West. They are holding aloft the standard of Divine guidance in a manner that cannot but evoke the unstinted praise and the unqualified gratitude of their brethren throughout the Baha'i world. The Beloved is well pleased with their magnificent record of service. I feel truly proud of their stewardship of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, of the spirit which animates them, and of the steadfastness with which they pursue their manifold and ever-expanding activities in the service of this glorious Faith.
March 19, 1944
Baha'u'llah and the New Era in Kanarese
A few days ago the Kanarese volumes reached him and he was very happy to see them; he has placed most of them in the Mansion of Baha'u'llah and the others he has distributed to various Assemblies and Baha'i libraries. He is eagerly awaiting copies of the various other translations your Assembly has undertaken, and in this connection he urges you again to persevere in your efforts to overcome every obstacle and get these further additions to your Baha'i literature in India speedily out and in the hands of the newly-attracted souls.
Achieved Mighty Victories
The Guardian wishes to once again stress the immediate tasks which face your Assembly: the important-and almost miraculous-work achieved during the closing years of our first Baha'i Century in forming so many Assemblies, most of them in virgin territory, should be carefully consolidated through travelling teachers, additional pioneers (if necessary), extension of financial help, etc., so that none of them will be weakened and forced to revert to group status. Also the newly formed groups should be given every assistance to enable them to become Assemblies and take part in the administrative order of the Cause in India. He urges you to concentrate on these three things: the publication and distribution of the newly translated books; the firm consolidation of the new Assemblies; and the development of existing groups, that they may speedily achieve Assembly status.
Important as new teaching undertakings are they should not be given precedence at the present time until these other objectives are well on the way to being realized.
In closing let me assure you that the beloved Guardian cherishes the brightest hopes for the future development of the Cause there, and expects great things of the Indian believers in view of the truly remarkable tasks they have been accomplishing these last few years with such a spirit of zeal and devotion. His loving prayers are offered on your behalf and for your fellow-members of the N.S.A., that you may be blessed and guided always.
[From the Guardian:]
The achievements of the Indian Baha'i Community during the closing years of the first Baha'i Century have shed a great lustre on the record of their imperishable services ever since the inception of the Faith in their vast and promising country. Both in the teaching and administrative spheres of Baha'i activity they have assiduously laboured, nobly persevered, generously given of their resources, consistently collaborated, achieved mighty victories and raised to a new level the standard of Baha'i stewardship. The field now stretching before them during the opening year of the second Baha'i Century is vast and highly promising. The call is urgent, the opportunities priceless, the need of the waiting masses desperate, the machinery for the execution of the Divine Purpose already erected and vigorously functioning, the promise of signal victory clear and definite. A higher degree of administrative efficiency; a closer collaboration between the various elements constituting the organic Baha'i Community; a greater measure of self sacrifice; a still more intensified exertion aiming at the consolidation and preservation of the newly constituted Assemblies and the rapid conversion of the existing groups into full-fledged Assemblies; a systematic, sustained and nation-wide endeavour for the purpose of disseminating the literature of the Faith, increasing its volume and adding to its diversity and lastly a more audacious and convincing presentation of its tenets to the masses of the people-these constitute the primary tasks facing now the Indian believers. That they may achieve their high destiny is my constant hope and fervent prayer.
December 20, 1944
Re-instate Assemblies in Burma
First let me say that he was very pleased to receive your cable telling him the Baha'is in at least a part of Burma have survived. His thoughts and prayers have often been with them during these terrible years of war.
He wishes to urge the N.S.A. to concentrate above all on re-instating any Spiritual Assemblies which were disbanded last Baha'i year owing to insufficient numbers. This must always be the first consideration, so that the hardly won prizes of these new Assemblies may not be lost. Depriving of Voting Rights-Function of N.S.A.
Also he wishes to point out that the power to put a person outside the Faith administratively must be solely, for the present time, in the hands of the N.S.A. This applies only to the cases where believers are deprived of their voting rights. Such extremely important and dramatic measures should never be resorted to unless absolutely necessary, and should certainly never be left in the hands of local assemblies, where personal feelings might colour the Assembly's decision. On the other hand, the right to enroll believers has always been given to the Local Assemblies.
But they should be strongly urged to make sure the applicant is sincere and fully understands and accepts the fundamentals of the Faith.
Teach a Wider Range of Indians
He also feels that now that you have so much literature on hand in various languages you should endeavour to teach a wider range of Indian races; especially the Hindus and Moslems as they form the preponderating mass of the people. Also Hindu and Moslem believers should be encouraged to teach, pioneer, lecture, and be appointed on Committees, and elected to Assemblies, so that our true inter-racial, inter-religious character may be incontestably demonstrated to the world.
The Guardian does not feel that it is necessary to wait one whole year before an applicant is admitted into the Faith. The Assemblies must not be too strict, but should make every effort to increase the membership of their communities.
June 26, 1945
Passing Away of Siyyid Mustafa
He was deeply grieved to hear of the death of our very dear and esteemed Baha'i brother, Siyyid Mustafa. He was truly an example of steadfast devotion and one of the outstanding pioneers the Faith produced during the first century of its existence. He was also very sad to hear of the ruin of the Baha'i Haziras and the plight of the Baha'is in general. He wishes your Assembly to exert its utmost in alleviating the suffering of the Burmese friends, and assisting them in every way possible. Convey to them all the assurance of his ardent and loving prayers on their behalf, and for the speedy re-establishment of the Faith and its institutions in Burma.
Baha'i Marriage
Regarding the question of ... marriage: She should have performed the Baha'i marriage rites, but, as the Guardian already wrote her, she can now be re-instated in her voting rights by having a Baha'i marriage ceremony performed. As she was married by civil, and not religious, law she need have no divorce or annulment of her civil marriage.
As at present a Baha'i marriage is not yet legally recognized by the authorities, the friends should also have the civil marriage in addition.
We have no objection to it at all, as it is non-sectarian and in no way affects our Baha'i status.
As long as both the Baha'i and the other religious (whatever it may be) ceremony are both performed prior to the consummation of the marriage, we do not mind which ceremony is performed first. It should be left to the individuals concerned to decide among themselves.